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Tag: Justice

‘Keep Going Forward’: a Masterclass with Farmida Bi CBE

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

It was a privilege to virtually meet Farmida Bi for an Alumni Masterclass. After researching Farmida’s career I was very excited to hear her thoughts on commercial law, politics and diversity initiatives because she has made such important contributions in each of these areas. The Masterclass exceeded my expectations of what I would learn as Farmida spoke with such frankness and warmth about her personal and professional journey. 

 

Farmida is currently the Chair of Norton Rose Fulbright and her insights into commercial law were fascinating. She spoke about her decision to become a solicitor rather than a barrister and where she had faced difficulties in her career. Her resolve to ‘keep going forward’ and take on new roles and challenges contributed to the very successful career she has. This particularly resonated with me because as a university student I have completed many internship applications and resilience is a much-needed quality for the process. It was also fascinating to hear about some of the clients she advises, in particular, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Government of Pakistan.  

 

She is also Chair of Patchwork Foundation and it was clear she believes very strongly in the important values and aims of Patchwork. Our conversation ranged from her experiences in Britain as a Muslim and how the Black Lives Matter movement has given a new energy to diversity initiatives in the city. Many Patchworkers said afterwards that they were grateful for her honesty because it facilitated such a meaningful discussion. I personally was reminded that every person can have a positive impact on their field of work and that in whatever path we choose we can make a difference. 

 

Farmida’s authenticity, thoughtfulness and ambition shone through during our conversation and left all of us feeling very motivated.

 

Written by Imaan Ahmad, a Patchwork Masterclass Participant 2020

“Trust in your ability” – Lessons from Masterclass with Lord Chancellor Rt Hon David Gauke MP

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

As an individual pursuing a legal career, the concept of meeting Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon David Gauke MP was one that interested me. At a time of notable uncertainty in British politics following a week of monumental parliamentary votes; being able to reflect on these issues within the walls of Hogan Lovells – located at the heart of the legal district only heightened the sense of occasion.

After qualifying as a solicitor within a leading city firm before entering Parliament in 2005, he has been a prolific politician earning a stellar reputation for his forward thinking policy ideas. His calm demeanour and breadth of knowledge on issues ranging from criminal justice reform, the power of technology and the future of politics proved an insightful experience.

The opportunity to partake in such a candid discussion with the Secretary of State allowed me to gain an in-depth understanding into his role as cabinet minister for the Ministry of Justice, it’s departmental structure as well as his drive to leave a lasting legacy – despite assuming this post just over a year ago.

He shared both the benefits and challenges that came with leading such a key governmental department. The biggest takeaways for me came in the form of advice to his younger self – of which I am keen to share; in the hope that it can similarly inspire others to succeed within politics or otherwise.

As a young adult, be sure to give everything a go because someone has to do it and there is absolutely no reason to say that the person cannot be you. The rhetoric of trusting in your ability before anyone else ever should rang heavy throughout the session. He continued in the same vain emphasising that if you do not try then you’ll never manage. As to limit yourself by not trying entirely is a worse fate than failing.

In essence, I wish to express how constructive and inspiring this Patchwork Masterclass was and an immense thank you to everyone who contributed to making this session happen.

Written by Nazrin Ysmailova 

Masterclass with Sir Richard Heaton, KCB

Posted on by Patchwork Foundation

This year’s Patchwork Masterclass programme kicked off with an inspirational session with the Ministry of Justice’s Permanent Secretary, Sir Richard Heaton. Having been fortunate enough to be selected as a future Patchworker I was really looking forward to the first session and getting to know my fellow Patchworkers better. As an Apprentice working in the transport Industry, I have been surprised by the amount of political interest in current developments such as HS2 and look forward to understanding more about the political processes which shape and govern such complex infrastructure projects throughout my time on the Masterclass programme. Having done research before the session I found out that Sir Richard is a keen advocate of promoting diversity and inclusion in the Civil Service, an ideal Patchwork mentor.

The session took place in the KMPG offices in Mayfair, which only added to the sense of the occasion. We had some time before the session to get acquainted with each other and go over the questions we had prepared in advanced and I was one of those selected to put forward a question to Sir Richard. Before Sir Richard arrived, we were briefed on the correct way to address titled individuals, definitely something which I needed a lesson in!

During the session Sir Richard spoke to us about his career journey, barriers he had faced in pursuing his ambitions and ways we could develop to enable us the best chance of succeeding in our desired careers. It was inspiring to hear from such a senior figure that background and circumstances are no stumbling block to achieving career goals. It was also especially interesting hearing about the Ministry of Justice and the role of Civil Servants in working with politicians to drive through policy change: an area I hope to gain better understanding of as I progress through the Masterclass programme.

After the session we were fortunate enough to have the space available for networking and socialising which provided an excellent opportunity to get to know fellow Patchworkers better. It was great to meet people like myself who are keen to drive real community change and transformation.

My thanks go to the Permanent Secretary for giving up his time to speak at our first session, the Patchwork team for organising it and the KPMG team who provided such fantastic facilities and service. I look forward to seeing where my Patchwork journey will take me in the future.

By Andrew Wolckenhaar